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Great for sensitive skin

Ren Skincare products were first recommended to me by a make up artist when I was having my make up done for a wedding.

This product is an exfoliator face wash. It costs £17.50 direct from REN (www.renskincare.co.uk). REN pride themselves in not using any chemicals and making their products with mainly natural ingredients.

The product is in a pump style bottle. This makes it easy to apply. REN recommend using a full pump for each application but I find that around half a pump is enough.

I usually slightly dampen my face, apply it to my hands and then massage onto my face for a few minutes. The product comes out of the pump like a white cream, you cannot see any obvious exfoliating beads. When you apply it to your face you can feel the tiny particles.

I find this to be quite a gentle exfolatior. You do not feel any harsh scrubbing. Some may say that it does not feel that it cleans deeply enough, however for myself this is perfect as I have really sensitive skin.

After use my skin is soft and smooth and any visible dry skin has been removed. Long term I have found a reduction in blackheads and also skin looking that little bit brighter.

The scent of the product is lovely. It is slightly minty smelling and really wakes you up in the morning.

I usually buy a bottle of this exfoliator every 3-4 months and use it around 3-4 times a week. I therefore feel it represents good value for money.

The product comes in the plastic bottle with the pump top and a plastic lid, but also comes with an outer cardboard box. I do feel that this is unnecessary!

I usually order my REN products from the official website, because here I feel like I am getting a good deal for my money. The website usually offers free delivery on spends over £40-50 (depending on what promotion is on at the time) so I would order a few things at a time to take advantage of the free delivery. The website also offers "REN reward points" which you get for every order placed and can then spend on products.

Other perks of the website are that you get '10% off your favourite product for life". You select which REN product is your favourite and you get 10% off this. I think they allow you to change your favourite product every 6 months. A final advantage is that with every order online you get to select 2 mini sample items (sometimes there is a promotion on where you will get 4). I usually select sample sizes of the products I use and keep these for travelling.

Overall this product is a great exfoliator for someone with sensitive skin. For those looking for something to provide a 'deep clean' scrub feeling this product probably isn't for you!

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An exfoliating skin wash that contains natural ingredients

Ren is a brand which believes in providing 'clean' skincare. Their stamp of promises tell us that they don't include any unnecessary chemical ingredients including Parabens or Petrochemicals. It also tells us that their products are free from all artificial colouring and fragrances and their mantra is, Skincare as it should be.

They use plenty of natural ingredients in their creations and this is reflected in their prices. And as such, I was over the moon to receive the Jojoba Microbead Purifying Facial Polish by Ren as a hand me down from my mother and couldn't wait to give it a try.

What does the product do? The Jojoba Microbead Facial Polish is essentially an exfoliating product. The purpose of an exfoliator is to remove the dead and dull skin cells from the surface which prevents pores from becoming clogged, enlarged and to also stop blemishes and blackheads from forming. This particular product promises to carry out this action in a gentle way and claims to give your skin a deep clean and to leave it purified. The invigorating formula should leave your skin feeling smooth, fresh and your complexion should be healthy and radiant.

How does the product work? The product contains both Jojoba Oil and Jojoba Seed Oil. Both are extremely moisturising and the moisture locks itself into the skin. This prevents the formation of wrinkles and fine lines and allows the skin to hold onto its elasticity. It is absorbed easily and regulates the production of oil by the skin. The oils also encourage the development of healthy new skin cells and it helps to heal the skin.

The exfoliating beads are coated with Beeswax which means that they can glide over the skin, knocking off the dead cells on the very surface without scratching or hurting the skin cells underneath. Sage Leaf is included which stimulates the development of healthy new skin cells and it also tones the skin. Juniper oil strengthens the skin while Peppermint Oil soothes and calms the skin.

How do you use the product?The product is to be applied to your damp face, carefully avoiding the delicate skin around the eye area and massaged in gently for a few minutes. Once the time is up, you can rinse away the product with warm water and follow it up with a good moisturiser. Most exfoliating products are too harsh on the skin for daily use because they strip away the natural moisture so this should be used no more than three times a week.

Packaging and PriceThe packaging of this product is plain but also classy and expensive looking. The bottle is pale with a band across the top and there is some writing on the packaging. The lid is frosty and when you remove it, you see the dispenser which releases the product via a pumping action.

None of Ren's product are cheap and this one is no different. It will cost you around £18 to buy 150ml of this product although it is fairly long lasting. It is available from a variety of online websites so if you shop around, you may find one for cheaper that what my mother paid for hers.

Extra ThoughtsThis product is quite different to most facial exfoliators that I have used. When I first dispensed the product from the bottle, I couldn't clearly see the exfoliating beads. The solution simply looked like a white coloured cream with a liquid soap consistency. I smoothed the solution onto my damp face and it was only then that I could properly see the particles which look like nothing more than grains of salt.

The particles are exfoliating beads filled with Jojoba Oil which burst as you massage them onto your skin and then disappear. They are quite soft and although there are plenty of them, the action that they perform on your skin is a very gentle one. This is the reason why my mother didn't want the product and gave it to me because it really doesn't feel like it's doing much and wasn't strong enough for her skin.

The fact they would be gentle is evident in the title of the product which tells us they are microbeads and suggests they are tiny but I didn't realise they would be so soft. They are fairly gritty on the skin but are still not as abrasive as most physical exfoliators. The product doesn't sting or irritate my skin when I massage it onto my face because it is so gentle. The solution feels silky and it is easy to work into my skin and even foams slightly which makes me feel like it is really cleansing my skin.

The product has a slightly menthol aroma thanks to the Peppermint Oil which is invigorating and awakening, especially in the morning. It doesn't tingle on the skin but it does feel cool and refreshing and it is a pleasant sensation that lasts a little while after the product has been rinsed away. The product is simple to wash off and it takes little effort which also means that it doesn't leave my face looking red and I can get ready faster in the mornings.

Once is had been removed, I didn't experience any dryness or tightness so it certainly doesn't strip my skin of any moisture and it hydrates the skin well. I don't think it makes any difference to my pores which still looked quite clogged and there were also still some flaky patches of skin on my forehead which most exfoliators would have banished.

My skin does feel clean after use but probably no more so than if I had used a normal face wash. The product didn't cause any new blemishes to form on my skin and hasn't caused it to become any oilier which was a big relief. My complexion does look brighter and healthier, and my skin feels soft and slightly smoother to the touch.

All in all, if you have really sensitive skin that doesn't need much exfoliating you may find this product useful. It contains natural ingredients and doesn't irritate my skin at all, and it does leave me feeling fresh and clean. That said, so do many much cheaper face washes so it hasn't overly impressed me.

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4 stars

The packaging of this product is lovely. It's very expensive looking and high quality, and would look good in any bathroom. It's a transparent plastic bottle with a pull off lid and pump dispenser. The dispenser works really well and gives a nice amount of the product, creating less possible wastage.

It's a fairly thin textured scrub with a nice creamy colour. It doesn't have noticeable grains in it to look at, it just looks like a creamy lotion. The scent is a very subtle slightly floral scent, and I can't say I ever notice it when I'm using the scrub.

Applying it to the face it massages in really well, I only need to use one pump to easily cover my whole face as the texture makes it go a long way. You can feel it exfoliating but without feeling harsh or scratchy, and by the time you've finished massaging it in the skin already feels really smooth.

After rinsing it off my skin feels really smooth and soft. It doesn't feel dehydrated or dried out, and my moisturiser sinks in really easily. My skin is left feeling nourished and looking clean and healthy. I would use this about 2 or 3 times a week, but as it is so gentle you could get away with using it more often if you needed to.

Over time it has helped to rid me of the flaky skin that I tend to get around my nose, and has kept it looking clear and fresh. It is definitely the best exfoliator I've used in terms of effectiveness, and it also lasts pretty well as you don't need to use a lot of it at a time. However, I received my bottle as a gift, and though it is really good, I would not be prepared to pay £17.50 for it myself.

All in all this is a fantastic exfoliator for those with money to burn!Thumbs up from me.

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The best face scrub ever!

Description

This is a deep-cleansing, non-abrasive facial scrub to keep your skin purified, invigorated and smoothed. It contains microbeads of Jojoba oil to gently remove dead skin cells and promote healthy cell renewal, as well as essential oils of Juniper and Peppermint to detoxify, soothe and cool.

Pros

- It has great packaging. It looks really good and high quality, and it works very well. It has a press top dispenser which gives you just the right amount of the scrub with each press. - It feels really nice to use, the exfoliating beads are very gentle but you can feel them working, and the scrub has a thin, smooth texture which foams up slightly and feels creamy and smooth on the skin. - It works brilliantly. I think this is honestly the best face scrub I've ever used. It makes my skin feel super smooth and soft, and it even feels really moisturised without me having to use a moisturiser afterwards. - Using it 3 times a week really gives my skin a special 'glow' and keeps it looking clear and healthy. - You only need to use a very small amount, so it lasts a very long time.

Cons

- It can take a while to rinse off properly as the exfoliating beads seem to stick to the skin. - It's very expensive at £17.25 for a 150ml bottle.

Summary

This is definitely the best face scrub I've ever tried. It keeps my skin feeling soft and smooth, and looking healthy and glowing. It is expensive but as it lasts a long time it works out well as value for money.